Peaked voltage circuit



NOV. 24, 1953 w, ELLIOT 2,660,670

PEAKED VOLTAGE CIRCUIT Filed Aug. 16, 1950 i 2 L 5 L l WV I 5 ADJUSTABLE,

PHASE f6 9 i0 SHIFT NETWORK SUPPLY VOLTAGE.

Patented Nov. 24, 1953 PEAKED VOLTAGE CIRCUIT William H. Elliot, Whitefish Bay, Wis., assignor to Cutler-Hammer, Inc., Milwaukee, Wis., a

corporation of Delaware Application August 16, 1950, Serial No. 179,860

5 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a circuit providing voltages of peaked wave form.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved circuit of simple and novel character for producing current impulses having highly peaked voltage wave forms.

Another object is to provide a circuit of the aforementioned character wherein the magnitude and duration of the peaked voltage wave forms can be controlled.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear.

The accompanying drawing illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention which will now be described, it being understood that the embodiment illustrated is susceptible of various modifications without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic showing of a circuit embodying the invention, and

Fig. 2 are curves illustrating the performance of the circuit of Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 1, it shows a single phase alternating current power supply comprising lines L and L a gaseous grid controlled electron tube 5, an adjustable phase shift network 6, a dry disc rectifying element 1, a resistor 3 and output terminals 9 and i0. Tube 5 has its cathode 5 connected to supply line L in series with resistor 8 and rectifying element 1; the latter being connected in counter conducting relation to the cathode 5 of tube 5 as indicated in Fig. l. Anode 5 of tube 5 is connected to supply line L and the control grid 5 of the tube has connection with adjustable phase shift network 6 as does the cathode 5 thereof. Phase shift network 6 has connection to supply lines L and L for supply of power thereto. Output terminal is connected to a point common to the connection between rectifying element 1 and resistor 8 and output terminal i0 is connected to the opposite terminal of resistor B.

The adjustable phase shift network (5, which may be of any well known type, may be assumed to impress upon the control grid of tube 5 an alternating potential which may be adjusted in time phase relation with respect to the alternating potential across the supply lines L and L and that the firing point of tube 5 in its conducting half cycles can thereby be controlled in a well known manner.

The rectifying element 1 preferably comprises a plurality of series connected selenium rectifier plates, and as diagrammatically shown in Fig. 1,

is connected in circuit in counter current conducting relation with respect to the main discharge path of tube 5.

In one preferred embodiment of the circuit tested, tube 5 comprised a #2050 thyratron, rectifying element l comprised a unit of six selenium rectifier plates, and resistor 8 had a value of 10,000 ohms. With supply lines L and L furnishing 115 volt, cycle alternating current, and with phase shift network 6 adjusted to impress an alternating firing potential on control grid 5 of tube 5 retarded with respect to the supply voltage, it was found that the voltage across the output terminals 9 and I0 was of the highly peaked Wave form depicted by the curve A of Fig. 2. This peaked voltage had a maximum value of approximately volts, which was attained substantially instantaneously following initiation of conduction of tube 5. The value of the voltage across the terminals 9 and I0 thereafter decreased rapidly to a value slightly under 20 volts and then gradually decreased to zero volts at approximately 60 following initiation of conduction of tube 5 as depicted by the portion A of curve A.

It has been found that changing the value of the resistor 8 for the same adjustment of phase shift network 6 effects some change in the wave form of the voltage across the terminals 9 and I0, although such wave form will still be of peaked form. Changing the moment of conduction of tube 5 through re-adjustment of phase shift network also eifects change in the wave form and the magnitude of the peak voltage. Perhaps the greatest factor in respect of shape and magnitude of the peaked voltage is the rectifying element I. It has been observed that the greater the number of rectifier plates making up such element, the sharper will be the wave form of the peaked voltage and less pronounced will be the base as depicted by the portion A of curve A in Fig. 2. With a sufficient number of rectifier plates in the unit, such base will be substantially eliminated. On the other hand, increasing the number of plates in element 1 eifects a decrease in the maximum value of the peaked voltage.

I claim:

1. In combination, a resistor, a semi-conductor element, a grid controlled electron tube having its main conducting path connected in series circuit conducting relation with said resistor and said semi-conductor element, said semi-conductor element being connected in said series circuit in a manner normally blocking current flow through said tube, whereby alternating current passing through said tube provides a voltage of peaked wave form across said resistor, and means for subjecting the control grid of said tube to a conduction initiating potential in the conducting half cycles of said tube.

2. In combination, a resistor, a dry disc rectifier, a grid controlled electron tube having its main discharge path connected in series circuit conducting relation with said resistor and rectifier, said rectifier being connected in said series circuit in a manner normally blocking current fiow through said tube, whereby alternating current passing through said tube provides a voltage of sharply peaked wave form across said resistor. and means for subjecting the control grid of said tube to a firing potential in the conducting half cycles of said tube.

3. In combination, a source of single phase alternating current supply, a resistor, a selenium rectifier, a grid controlled electron tube having its main discharge path connected across said source in series circuit conducting relation with said resistor and said rectifier, said rectifier being connected in said series circuit in a manner normally blocking current now through said tube, whereby current passing through said tube provides a voltage of sharply peaked wave form across said resistor, and means for subjecting the control grid of said tube to a firing potential in the conducting half cycles of said tube.

4. In combination, a source of single phase alternating current supply, a resistor, a dry disc rectifier, a gaseous grid controlled electron tube having its main discharge path connected across said source in series circuit conducting relation with said rectifier and said resistor, said rectifier being connected in said series circuit in a manner normally blocking current flow through said tube, whereby current passing through said tube provides a voltage of sharply peaked wave form across said resistor, and a phase shift network deriving power from said source for subjecting the control grid of said tube to a firing potential out of phase with the voltage of said source to render said tube conducting.

5. In combination, a source of single phase alternating current supply, a resistor, a selenium rectifier, a gaseous grid controlled discharge tube having its anode connected to one side of said source and its cathode connected to the other side of saidsource in series circuit conductrelation with said rectifier and said resistor, a pair of output terminals connected across said resistor, said rectifier being connected in said series circuit in a manner normally blocking current flow through said tube, whereby current passing through said tube provides a voltage of sharply peaked wave form across said terminals, and an adjustable phase shift network deriving power from said source for subjecting the control grid of said tube to an alternating firing potential variable in phase with the supply voltage.

WILLIAM H. ELLIOT.

References Cited in the file of this patent 

